Introduction: As we already know coronavirus has spread in the world for over 2 years and unfortunately according to the statistical reports, approximately 5 million lives have been lost due to this contagious viral infection.
The control and eradication of this epidemic have been taken into account as one of the most important priorities in human communities. Considering the high incidence of this disease, the need for finding an efficient treatment or medication seems necessary.
Methods: None of the suggested treatments has still been approved and finalized and all are being surveyed in clinical trials. However, the obtained results are perceived to be promising.
One of these suggested treatments is based upon using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to improve respiratory distress. By intravenous or intratracheal injection.
Results: Li Xu (Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China, 2020) in a study revealed that in a group of patients being treated with mesenchymal stem cells, the rate of improving the sign and symptoms has been enhanced. In this group, clinical symptoms including fatigue and shortness of breath have been alleviated from day 3 of mesenchymal stem cells injection. On day 7, the general condition of these patients was significantly different from the control group. Giacomo Lanzoni et. al (May 2021) accomplished a clinical trial at the Division of Cellular Transplantation at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in the United States. They declared that Intravenous injection of MSCs dramatically alleviated the adverse effects of the disease within 6 days. This treatment was associated with increased survival of inflammatory cytokines in treated patients. The results of the second phase of the trial carried out in the Division of Infectious Diseases of National Clinical Research Center for infectious diseases, Beijing, China demonstrated a numerical improvement in the total volume of the lung lesion for 28 days, compared with placebo. A randomized controlled trial conducted in the Stem Cell Medical Technology Integrated Service Unit, Jakarta, Indonesia (Sep 2021) indicated that intravenous injection of stromal mesenchymal cells as an adjuvant in critically ill patients resulted in the control of cytokine storm. Cytokine release which is observed in patients with COVID-19 as a systemic inflammatory response syndrome is highly likely to decrease by using mesenchymal stem cells. Having said that, according to a systematic review performed by the researchers working in the pain medicine team at Mayo Clinic, USA), the intravenous or intratracheal injection presumably alleviates minor symptoms of coronavirus infection. However, researchers also emphasize that the type of treatment modulates the inflammatory process as well as regenerates the alveolar-capillary barriers.
In an exploratory clinical trial conducted at the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZUSM), Hangzhou (China, 2021 Feb), the efficiency of employing mesenchymal stromal cells derived from human menstrual blood has been appraised in critically ill patients with covid-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome. 26 patients included in the experimental group received three 9 × 10 injections. This clinical trial indicates that the death toll has reduced nearly 69% in the treated group and chest imaging results in the experimental group have been improved within the first month after the injection. Some surveys have been performed in Iran as well. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials(IRCT) has declared that an MSC-based clinical trial is ongoing in Shariati Hospital, Tehran, under the supervision and cooperation of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. However, no report from the obtained results has been published yet.
Conclusion: Since the study on the therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 treatment is ongoing, the hypothesis of the efficiency of using mesenchymal cells in patients with COVID-19 is not still clear. There are some disagreements. Nevertheless, MSC-based treatments seem to be taken into account as a promising approach to treat critically ill patients with COVID-19. Since the study on the therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 treatment is ongoing, the hypothesis of the efficiency of using mesenchymal cells in patients with COVID-19 is not still clear. There are some disagreements. Nevertheless, MSC-based treatments seem to be taken into account as a promising approach to treat critically ill patients with COVID-19. Since the study on the therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 treatment is ongoing, the hypothesis of the efficiency of using mesenchymal cells in patients with COVID-19 is not still clear. There are some disagreements. Nevertheless, MSC-based treatments seem to be taken into account as a promising approach to treat critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Keywords: Mesenchymal stem COVID-19 Respiratory status